Greenville, NC Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Section 12-1-18 defines 'sidewalk' as the portion of a public street between the curblines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines intended for pedestrian use. It defines 'obstruct' or 'obstruction' broadly as blocking, narrowing or otherwise impeding, or contributing in any manner to blocking, narrowing or impeding, the safe flow of pedestrian travel. The prohibited act itself is simple: it is unlawful for any person to obstruct any sidewalk in the city. Unlike several of Greenville's other public-conduct ordinances, this section does not use an escalating three-tier civil penalty schedule.

Any violation carries a flat civil penalty of $50, and the violator is issued a written citation that must be paid within 72 hours. If the person does not pay within that 72-hour window, the city can recover the penalty, plus all costs and attorneys' fees, by filing a civil action in the general court of justice as a suit to collect a debt. The ordinance was adopted by Ordinance No. 00-109 on August 10, 2000, and amended by Ordinance No. 10-28 on April 5, 2010, and it sits in the same chapter as Greenville's litter, noise and open-container rules, all enforced primarily through the Greenville Police Department.